diff --git a/config_test.go b/config_test.go
index 081ecbc15..7112731ba 100644
--- a/config_test.go
+++ b/config_test.go
@@ -138,8 +138,7 @@ func TestConfigWithMissingAttributes(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(tt.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
 			cfg := tt.cfg
 			_, err := cfg.Build()
-			require.Error(t, err)
-			assert.Equal(t, tt.expectErr, err.Error())
+			assert.EqualError(t, err, tt.expectErr)
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/global_test.go b/global_test.go
index c765343ca..2abc15dc2 100644
--- a/global_test.go
+++ b/global_test.go
@@ -143,8 +143,7 @@ func TestNewStdLogAtFatal(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestNewStdLogAtInvalid(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := NewStdLogAt(NewNop(), zapcore.Level(99))
-	assert.Error(t, err, "Expected to get error.")
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "99", "Expected level code in error message")
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "99", "Expected level code in error message")
 }
 
 func TestRedirectStdLog(t *testing.T) {
@@ -262,8 +261,7 @@ func TestRedirectStdLogAtInvalid(t *testing.T) {
 			restore()
 		}
 	}()
-	require.Error(t, err, "Expected to get error.")
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "99", "Expected level code in error message")
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "99", "Expected level code in error message")
 }
 
 func checkStdLogMessage(t *testing.T, msg string, logs *observer.ObservedLogs) {
diff --git a/level_test.go b/level_test.go
index ccfc89c34..db7391d9b 100644
--- a/level_test.go
+++ b/level_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zapcore"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestLevelEnablerFunc(t *testing.T) {
@@ -71,11 +72,10 @@ func TestParseAtomicLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		parsedAtomicLevel, err := ParseAtomicLevel(tt.text)
 		if len(tt.err) == 0 {
-			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.level, parsedAtomicLevel)
 		} else {
-			assert.Error(t, err)
-			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tt.err)
+			assert.ErrorContains(t, err, tt.err)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/sink_test.go b/sink_test.go
index a5c41056b..f174f8612 100644
--- a/sink_test.go
+++ b/sink_test.go
@@ -92,9 +92,7 @@ func TestRegisterSinkErrors(t *testing.T) {
 			defer resetSinkRegistry()
 
 			err := RegisterSink(tt.scheme, nopFactory)
-			if assert.Error(t, err, "expected error") {
-				assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tt.err, "unexpected error")
-			}
+			assert.ErrorContains(t, err, tt.err)
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/writer_test.go b/writer_test.go
index c2f439246..9123edbdd 100644
--- a/writer_test.go
+++ b/writer_test.go
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ func TestOpenWithErroringSinkFactory(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.NoError(t, RegisterSink("test", factory), "Failed to register sink factory.")
 	_, _, err := Open("test://some/path")
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), msg, "Unexpected error.")
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, msg)
 }
 
 func TestCombineWriteSyncers(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/zapcore/increase_level_test.go b/zapcore/increase_level_test.go
index 547794fe7..f80d79098 100644
--- a/zapcore/increase_level_test.go
+++ b/zapcore/increase_level_test.go
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ func TestIncreaseLevel(t *testing.T) {
 
 			filteredLogger, err := NewIncreaseLevelCore(logger, tt.increaseLevel)
 			if tt.wantErr {
-				require.Error(t, err)
-				assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "invalid increase level")
+				assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "invalid increase level")
 				return
 			}
 
diff --git a/zapcore/level_test.go b/zapcore/level_test.go
index 454332258..ab97c98d0 100644
--- a/zapcore/level_test.go
+++ b/zapcore/level_test.go
@@ -93,8 +93,7 @@ func TestParseLevel(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.level, parsedLevel)
 		} else {
-			assert.Error(t, err)
-			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tt.err)
+			assert.ErrorContains(t, err, tt.err)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -170,7 +169,7 @@ func TestLevelNils(t *testing.T) {
 func TestLevelUnmarshalUnknownText(t *testing.T) {
 	var l Level
 	err := l.UnmarshalText([]byte("foo"))
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "unrecognized level", "Expected unmarshaling arbitrary text to fail.")
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "unrecognized level", "Expected unmarshaling arbitrary text to fail.")
 }
 
 func TestLevelAsFlagValue(t *testing.T) {